The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-05-12
HALF \ CENTURY.
A Personal Sketch of Queen VIC
tOria,

+ tOri:l.
An Innocent locng Girl becomes . Rexolute.
Self Wi'led Wonas-Tho Private Life OF tho
Vaeon-lIow She Spends Her Timc--Her Por.
trait Carefully Drawn by Herself.
All over the world preparations are
being made for the celebration of the
semi-centennial Jubilee OF Queen Vic
toria, ON Goth OF June next. As Web
eter said, "The British drum-beat fol-
lows the course of the sun round the
world" not only wherever that drum
beats. but in places like San Francis:
co. where the union jack only floats
from the masthead Of vessels in the
bay, Englishmen are making ready to
testify their 10y atty by exuberant dem
onstrations OF devotion to the lady
who, on June Goth, will have sat for
hfty years on the British throne. And
even to foreigners, who cannot be ex-
Pected to share the enthusiasm of the
British; the recurrence of the anniver-
sary is not devoid Of interest: When
assistant secretary of State Hunter
died the other day, it was said of him
that he was the only public servant
who had been continually in the Scr
vice OF the United States for half a
century. There may be Others; If so,
we do not recall them. When Queen
Victoria succeeded to the throne
Cleveland was in petticoats, Bayard
was nine years old, Whitney was not
born, Blaine was q child of seven,
making mud pies. OF eighty.two mem
bers OF the privy council who assem-
bled to hear her take the oaths not
one survives.
When she assembled the throne Lou
is Philippe was king of France, Van
Buren, had been ina,,gurated president
OF the United States; the Carlists were
fighting hammer and tongs in Spain;
the Canadians were in arms to secure
5elf-govcrnment; Melbourne and
Adelaide were being founded in Aus
trala; Austria and Russia were
stamping out the last embers OF Pc.
lish freedom; Professor Morse was
patentins his telegraph; the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad was beginning to
lay track; ocean steamers were pre-
pairing, under general derision, to
cross the Atlantic; Texas had lust de-
clared her independence; James Smith
son was endowing he Smithsonian in
stitution, and congress had lust d.
rected the navy department to survey
the coast Of California.
Victoria was the daughter OF the
fourth son OF George III. Her father
died when she was six months old.
He had been in poor circumstances,
so short OF money, indeed. that he
had to borrow from his friends enough
to take his wife to England, so that
her child should be born on British
soil. When the child was IL wears
old the death OF Georee w made her
Representative. She would not
have succeeded If her uncle William
had married and had issue; but he
was GA, and was living with q lady by
whom he had large family. Victoria
was recognized as the heir, and was
educated accordingly. 1t is curious
to note while the child was still in
short clothes the old duchess OF Sake
Coburg, and the king OF the Belyians
had already picked out q husband
for her in the shape of her cousin,
Albert OF Saxe-Gotha, who was born
three months after her.
William ~ died shortly after mid
night. The ministers OF state, who
had been expecting the event, arch
bishop OF Canterbury, and the officers
OF the privy council, were promptly
summoned; the archbishop and the
three others rode out to Kensington,
where the duchess of Kent, lived.
They arrived there at five a. m. Not
one OF them knew the princess in
timately. She had been brought up
in such seclusion by her prudent
mother that she had never slept out
Of her bedroom, had never been alone
with anyone but the duchess or the
Baroness Lehzen, and had no intimate
acquaintance or friends of either sex.
The visitors knocked loudly at the
palace door, and demanded to see
the princess. They were told she was
asleep. They declared that they came
ON business OF state to the queen,
and that she must be walked, and
must receive them. In few minutes
the young lady OF lS made her ap-
pearance. She WAS in her night
dress, with shawl thrown over her
shoulders; she had thrown off her
nightcap and her hair WAS loose; her
bare feet had been thrust into slippers;
a flush ON her cheek showed that she
had been sleeping soundly, but she was
perfectly composed. She we'll knew
what they had come for. She made the
customary declaration, the lord
chancellor administered the oath, and
the young lady stood calm and quiet
while the old men filed one by one be-
fore her and kissed her hand. When
they retired she went back to her girl
bedroom and had good cry.
30 began the most prosperous and,
with one or two exceptions, the long.
est reign in English history.
The new queen was IL riddle to every
one. Her mother had ntertained,
and Victoria had danced with many
gentlemen, but no one-not even the
duchess of Northumberland, her Of
fetal governess-could say that they
knew her disposition. It was taken
for granted that she was light and
frivolous. The duke of Wellington
felt sure that the tories would not get
on with her; "for" said he, "Peel has
no manners, and l have no small
talk" 1t is quite likely that the
f:ivolity which exasperated people in
Lold Melbourne was to some extent
assumed, becuse he thought it would
please the young queen. 1t seems,
however, that this conception of her
character was false. She was at 1S
very nearly as serious, rs self possess
ed and as resolute as she is now at
SO.
She was a born politician. During
her long seclusion she had read care
fully, and when she assembled the throne
she was a whig. She had no tolera-
ton for the tories. She could not
bear them. She flung herself into
Lord Melbourne's arms and let him
run the government to please himself.
Presently he ceased to command a
majority in parliament, and had to
resign IN favor of Sir Robert Peel. The
latter insisted on surrounding the
queen with ladies OF tory families.
Victoria refused to change her attend